Sano was promoted to Triple-A Rochester on Friday after spending the past four days back home in the Dominican Republic, where he was visiting his mother as part of a team-excused absence.

“I haven’t spoken to him since he returned yet,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. “I just know she’s dealing with some things and he wanted to get down there, which was the right thing.”

Sano, 25, played in 19 games for the Miracle after being optioned on June 14. In 77 plate appearances he hit .328 with a .442 on-base percentage and a .453 slugging percentage. He struck out 21 times (27.3 percent) and hit just two home runs and two doubles while driving in 12.

Sano played just two games with 19-year-old shortstop Royce Lewis, the Twins top prospect who was recently promoted from Class A Cedar Rapids. Both games took place last weekend in Lakeland, Fla., and Sano played third base next to Lewis in only one game (July 14).

In Sano’s final at-bat in his return to the Florida State League, he hit a two-run double to center that scored Lewis.

The plan is for Sano to be in uniform on Saturday for the Red Wings and increase his game schedule after playing roughly four games a week in the Florida State League.

RODNEY RETURNS

Veteran closer Fernando Rodney, who became a U.S. citizen on Monday in Miami, expressed his appreciation to the Twins and Ramon Pena, the scout who signed him for the Detroit Tigers at age 20 back in 1997.

Rodney, 41, said the hardest part of the process was passing the initial test in May 2017. He recalled having to name one country that bordered the U.S., one of the original 13 colonies and one of the main adversaries the U.S. faced in World War II.

For that last one, he rattled off Japan, Germany and Italy with ease.

“The process took a long time,” Rodney said. “I’m very proud. It’s one more step in my career and it means a lot. Now I can bring all my family to this country and we can be together for a long time.”

Rodney, the middle child of five siblings, had yet to call his mother with the news.

GETTING CLOSER

First baseman Logan Morrison (hip) took early batting practice on the field and appears on track to be activated off the 10-day disabled list on Sunday here in his hometown.

Reliever Addison Reed (elbow impingement) threw in the bullpen for the first time since taking a cortisone shot on July 11 and will probably throw another bullpen on Sunday.

Reed is eligible to come off the DL as soon as Saturday, but the Twins want to give him a chance to work out some mechanical kinks before returning him to the active roster.

STARTER PLANS

Ervin Santana worked six innings of one-run ball in his seventh rehab start on Friday for Triple-A Rochester. The plan was to have Santana stretch out to as many as 90 pitches as he nears the end of his 30-day rehab window on July 29, but he required just 66 to record 18 outs.

Santana gave up two hits, including a solo homer to Mike Yastrzemski (grandson of Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski), along with three walks while fanning just one. It’s possible Santana could be activated for the July 25 series finale in Toronto, but the Twins could give him one more outing in the minors after he touched 90 mph only a few times with a fastball that he used to pump into the mid-90s with ease.

“I think we just have to get used to the fact the velocity is going to be down a little,” Molitor said.

Jose Berrios, meanwhile, fresh off his 13-pitch scoreless inning at Tuesday’s All-Star Game, will make his next start on Tuesday in Toronto.

The Twins haven’t decided on their starter for Monday at the Blue Jays. The top candidates at Rochester are right-hander Zack Littell and lefties Adalberto Mejia and Stephen Gonsalves.

HIGH LEVERAGE

Relievers Trevor Hildenberger and Ryan Pressly knew for the past month or so that they planned to propose to their longtime girlfriends around the all-star break.

Hildenberger went first, popping the question to Kristin Rimbach, his girlfriend of seven years, on Saturday in the Twin Cities. They plan to wed sometime in late 2019.

Pressly waited until he returned home to suburban Dallas. On Tuesday he took Kat Rogers, his girlfriend of two years, to the pond where they had their first date and asked for her hand in marriage.

After each positive response, the bullpen mates made sure to text each other with the news.

BRIEFLY

Super utility man Taylor Motter was recalled from Triple-A Rochester to take the roster spot of rookie right-hander Fernando Romero, who was optioned. Motter hit .186 in 43 July at-bats for the Red Wings, but he also homered and posted a .340 on-base percentage as he worked back from a concussion suffered June 28 at the Chicago White Sox.

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